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Five Faves Of '17: Top Catches

Now that the season has come to a close, the Redskins Blog will select its favorite things from Redskins fans, players, coaches and team personnel over the last 12 months.

We’ll continue with our five favorite catches of the year.

1. The One-Handed Statement

Wide receiver Maurice Harris had quite the birthday weekend. After waiting for more than half of the season on the practice squad, the Redskins activated him to the 53-man roster the Saturday before the team hosted the Vikings. With his family in attendance, Harris made quite the impression on the first drive of the game. Quarterback Trent Williams lofted a pass to Harris down the sideline and he collected it with one hand, falling into the end zone with his first professional touchdown. After a brief review, the call stood and Harris could appropriately celebrate with his teammates. It’s a remarkable achievement. “He makes those catches every day in practice, so you expect greatness when you see greatness in practice,” right tackle Morgan Moses said.

2. The Seattle Dive

The clock was winding down. Seattle could smell victory. But Kirk Cousins had other plans. Cousins saw Seattle in press-man coverage and signaled to Doctson for a fly route. He lofted a deep pass to him, and Doctson dove, cradling the ball above the turf and sliding to the one-yard line where he was touched down. The catch was Doctson’s biggest impact play in his Redskins tenure and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time with the season, at that time, hanging in the balance. Rob Kelley would punch in the one-yard score moments later and the defense would hold Seattle out of the end zone to hang on for a wild win.

3. The You Got Mossed

By the end of November, the Redskins had a good idea about how Doctson could use his height and leaping ability to win jump balls over smaller cornerbacks. That was confirmed against the New Orleans Saints when he somehow grabbed a Cousins pass over cornerback P.J Miller, plucking it out his hands for a 32-yard gain. The pass was a growing sign that Cousins had begun to trust his tall wide receiver more and the catch was, well, further proof Doctson could Moss defensive backs with the best of them.

4. The Third Down Machine

This might have been a small play in the first quarter, but it shows just how valuable wide receiver Jamison Crowder is for the Redskins. The ability to grab this with one hand, pick up the first down and avoid losing the football upon contact is some wizardry that has endeared fans since Crowder was drafted. He also picks up a first down on this play on a Thanksgiving night when the offense sometimes felt anemic. This is what great receivers do though, make bad passes appear not so bad.

5. The Head Turner

On the surface, this catch doesn’t seem that impressive. It’s not a one-handed grab or a diving grab or a touchdown grab. And yet just consider the amount of effort and skill needed throughout the entire process of this play. First, Quick must turn his head around and re-locate the ball in mid-air. Then he must collect the pass and hold onto it as he absorbs a big hit from Kam Chancellor pushing him out of bounds. The 31-yard completion got the offense into gear before Cousins’s next pass to Doctson got the Redskins to the one-yard line. Quick didn’t have many catches this season, but this one, on this particular drive, will stay with us.

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